Sept. 26, 2023 - IDEC Corporation announces that it has acquired 80% of the shares of ez-Wheel SAS (Headquarters: France, “ez-Wheel”) as of Aug. 1, 2023. This follows the strategic partnership agreement signed between IDEC and ez-Wheel on Jan. 24, 2022.
ez-Wheel was founded in Angoulême, France in 2009 with the mission of developing easier and safer means of transporting goods. They developed the world’s first self-propelled wheel in 2010, and the world’s first safe autonomous wheel in 2021. Self-propelled wheels incorporate driveline (motor, drive, gearbox) and control/safety elements within a single device. These products are an excellent fit for automated guided vehicles (AGVs), autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), mobile conveyors, material handling and electrification of any type of motion or power assist device.
All these categories are experiencing rapid growth throughout various industries to support progress in global automation, address labor shortages and improve the safety and well-being of workers by reducing the burden of many tasks. In addition, ez-Wheel products are helping AGV/AMR designers to easily integrate and develop new equipment—and also to evolve legacy designs—for best compliance with safety requirements. IDEC will strengthen the research and development of the ez-Wheel team, and it will expand global sales of these mobility solutions in conjunction with complementary IDEC products, such as human-machine interfaces (HMIs) and safety-related equipment.
These efforts will support IDEC’s HMI transformation (HMI-X) initiative to provide optimal, intuitive and safe human-machine interactions, with a focus on human well-being. Key ez-Wheel products include the Electric Power Assist Wheel (EPAW) used for reducing the burden of transporting heavy loads on existing carts and trolleys, and the Safety Wheel Drive (SWD) which facilitates the development and certification of AGVs, AMRs and other automated logistics applications. The SWD is equipped with safety operation monitoring functions as required by international safety standard ISO 3691-4, so it can be used in environments where people and robots coexist.
About IDEC
IDEC Corporation is a global supplier that has provided innovative and reliable industrial automation and control products since 1945. Covering a broad range of market needs, these feature-rich and value-driven products include PLCs, human machine interfaces (HMIs), safety products and other industrial automation components. By delivering world-class products backed by personalized service and highly-rated technical support, IDEC enables design engineers to create lean, cost-effective and safe solutions to optimize their automation applications. With the acquisition of ez-Wheel, as well as the acquisition of APEM, one of the world's leading manufacturers of operator interface panels and related components, IDEC continues to enhance our customers’ ability to create high-quality solutions.
